Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 14:46:38 -0700 From: Alex Bright Subject: Broken Facades: Chapter 23 Broken Facades By Alex Bright Chapter 23 Crash...My World Alisa "Hello?" Justin answered the phone. "Justin I need a big favor." "And good morning to you to. What time is it, Alisa?" "I don't know 5, 5:30m I don't know." "It's five. It's too early, Alisa. Call me back at 6:30. I'm going back to sleep, so good bye." "Justin, wait! I was in an accident." "AN ACCIDENT? Are you ok? You're not hurt are you? Where did it happen? How?" "Easy Justin I'm ok my car's back bumper is finished though." I told him as I laughed. "I'll tell you everything when you pick me up. I wasn't going to say anything to Brad or Alex, but I decided to tell them, just not the whole truth." "What do you mean not the whole truth?" "What I mean is that it was no accident, Justin. I was hit from behind on purpose." "WHAT?" "Just pick me up at 6:30 and I'll fill you in on everything." Brad Bring, Bring, Bring "Yawn, Hello." His voice answered, sounding very tired "Hey, Alex could I get a ride with you this morning?" "Sure, but what happened to your girlfriend?" "It's weird. She already left for school and her mom was acting real weird." "She already left for school? This early?" "Yeah, her mom said Justin picked her up." "Why the hell would Justin pick her up?" "Beats me, so will you do it?" "Sure Bear, Give me a half, and your butt better be up." "It is up, along with all my other body parts," I told him with a laugh. "Dude please! I don't need that image in my mind this early. Peace." Alisa "Now what's this about your car getting hit?" Justin asked as I entered his car. I explained the story to him as we tried to figure out who could be doing this. "My mom noticed a car driving by the house very slowly last night. Do you think that there could be a connection?" "I'd bet your cute butt there is! I think it's the same person that keyed Brad's car." "Tony?" "That's what Alex thinks, but I don't think so. I just can't figure it out." "Well, I'll have a talk with Tony and find out if it's him, but in the meantime what do we do about the wonder twins? He asked as we pulled into the school parking lot. "We tell them the truth, just not the whole truth. Have you figured out what to do about our other problem yet?" "I still don't know what to do, but I don't think I should tell him. Besides, it looks like one of your plans might finally just work,." he said with a smile as he pulled into a parking spot. "Thanks for the ride, Justin," I said as I goet out of his car "No Prob, Sis," he replied. "Oh no! Don't look now, but here come trouble," I said him as Marissa and Meagan walked towards us. "Hi Justin," Meagan greeted him. "Well, at least a good night's sleep brought you back to your senses," Marissa added in. "Marissa, what are you talking about?" I asked her. "You dumped the Fag and got with a real man." She smiled Justin and rubbed on his arm. "For the last time, Bradley is not gay! When is that going to get through your thick skulls? And get your claws off of Justin ... he already taken." I yelled as I grabbed Justin and walked away. "Alisa, you're turning into a real bitch." I turned around and flipped her the bird. "Whatever." "If you three ever get into it, please let me get front row seats," Justin said, then he started to laugh. Alex "Alex can I ask you a question?" Brad asked. "Sure go ahead." "Do you think that Justin has a thing for Alisa?" "I don't think so, why do you ask?" "I don't know. He's just always around her, and yesterday when I was kissing her he looked upset." "Bear, Alisa had the hots for you ever since we where little kids. "Yeah I know, but why would she want me over Justin? I mean look at me then at Just. The man is a stud! I mean hell, I'd pick him over me." "You must be confident in your abilities young Jedi, not all doubtful. Look Brad, all kidding aside. You're a great guy and so is Justin, but Alisa picked you." "But what if..." "Aaaa, no what if! Live for now, for the present." "I don't remember that. Is it from one of the movies?" "It's not. I just made it up. See? There they are and it look like they are having a good time as friends." Alex pointed them out and we started to walk over to them. "What so funny?" Brad asked as we caught up to them. Justin and Alisa quickly turned around and stopped laughing. "Nothing honey. I missed you," she said, then gave him a kiss on the lips. Justin asked, "So are you two going to need a ride after the game, or is lover boy going to use mommy's car?" "Actually, Alex is driving us." "I am? Ouch!" I yelled as he elbowed me in the side, "Oh, I mean yeah. I am." "Oh, okay cool," Justin said, looking a little hurt. "I'll see you guys later then." He waved and started to walk away. "Do I detect a touch of jealousy?" Alisa asked as she hugged Brad. Brad didn't answer, only looked away. "Brad, you are jealous." 'It's just you weren't home when I called and your mom was acting weird. Then I find out Justin picked you up. I wanted to take you, well I mean I wanted to ride with you. Plus look at Justin compared to me. Hell, I'd date him over me," he said looking down at his feet. "Brad, I don't want Justin as a boyfriend! I want you! If I wanted Justin I would have gone after him instead of you." 'That's what I told him. I told you had nothing to worry about, Brad." I was starting to feel like a third wheel. "Then why's he suddenly always around us, and why did you ride to school with him today? What happed to your car?" "Oh that, ah well it's like this, don't get upset or anything, but I kinda had an accident last night coming home from Justin's "YOU WHAT?" both Brad and I yelled at the same time. Then I could see panic in Brad's eyes. "Baby are you ok?" he asked as he touched her arm very gently, looking her over for any sign of injuries. "Did you get hurt?" "I'm fine." "How did it happen?" "Well I was at a..." "Did your car get totaled?" "No, but..." "Did you have to go to the hospital?" He went on and on and on until Alisa and I both yelled, "BRAD!" "God, man slow down." I yelled at him "She didn't just have the accident now, she said last night." Alisa "That's why I didn't call you. You would have been at my house all night," I said as I gave him a reassuring hug followed by a kiss. "I love you and you have nothing to worry about with Justin. Besides, his heart belongs to someone else. He doesn't look at me the way you do. I've only seen him give that look to one other person." As I kissed Brad, a light bulb suddenly turned on from my last statement. I thought to myself, no it can't be, or could it?" "I feel like an idiot," Brad said. "You got that right." Alex said, then laughed. "I have to find Justin and tell him I sorry for acting like an asshole.' "Okay. I love you." I said, starting our game. "I love you too," he said, looking into my eyes. "I love you more," I said, taking his hand. "Oh Jesus! Look I'd love to sit here and watch you two love birds, but I gotta go before I get ill." Alex walked away, then looked back and shook his head laughing. Justin "Justin!." I heard a voice calling and turned around. When I saw who it was I turned back around and kept on walking to lunch. "Justin? Justin, come on man," he pleaded with me as he caught up to me and reached for my arm. "Tony I have nothing to say to you. " I said as I pulled away, and then I stopped. "Actually I do have something to say. I'm going to warn you one more time about staying away from Alex and Brad. And if you so much as touch Alisa, I'll make you wish you were never born." I looked him right in the eyes. "What are you talking about?" "You don't know, do you?" "Know what?" "Someone scratched the word FAG on Brad's parents car, then slammed into Alisa's while she was at a stop sign and drove off." "Keying the little faggots car?" He sneered, then quickly went straight faced and started to walk around me while talking "Not my style. Too juvenile. I'm more of the, you see me coming or well planed out type of guy." He stopped in front of me again. "As for hurting chicks, that's not my style at all." "You know what? I believe you, but if I'm wrong and you're behind this, just remember what I said." I started to walk away. "Justin, you really don't want to do this. Come on, lets be friends again?" he asked with that smile that I always hated "No thanks, I'm meeting my real friends for lunch." Tony When Justin walked away Joe and Mark walked over to me from where they were hiding. "So what's the deal?" Joe asked me. "Well, now we can add Justin to our list. Do me a favor. I just found out that someone keyed the faggots car and hit his girlfriend's car." "Somebody hit Alex's car?" Mark asked with a laugh, "Damm, why didn't we think of that?" "Because I'M not that dumb. No, it was Alisa's car that was hit, and I want to know who this person was that did it." Alisa The three of us just sat down to start to eat. Well, Alex and I were eating. Brad was nervously waiting for Justin to tell him what a jerk he was this morning. "Hey guys." "Hey Just." Alex and I both answered while shoving food into our mouths. "Hey Justin. Justin I have to apologize to you," said, looking very serious. "For what, Bear? What did you do?" "I broke your trust. I thought you wanted Alisa and were going to try to go after her." Justin looked at Alex and I, then at Brad, and broke out in laughter so hard that he had to grab the table to avoid falling off the chair. "You thought (laughing) I was (laughing) going after (laughing) after (laughing) ALISA?" "Hey! It's not that funny," I told him as I threw a fry his way, noticing Alex is trying to hold back "I'm sorry Alisa," Justin said as he calmed down. "Bear, I would never do anything on purpose to hurt you," Suddenly I saw it. The look in Justin eyes "Or Alex, or Alisa. Okay?" "Oh my God," I accidentally whispered out loud. "What?" asked Justin, as I was still staring at him with my mouth open. "Alisa, didn't your mother tell you it's not polite to stare?". "I'm sorry Justin." But I continued to look at him throughout the whole lunch, taking quick glances. I think he noticed because he started to look uncomfortable. Alex "Oh yeah, by the way I don't think it was Tony who keyed Brad's car," Justin said. "And why do you think that?" "Because he told me he didn't." "And you believe that asshole?" "Yes I do Alex. It's not his style. Tony is more of a person who wants you to know it's him that's messing with you. I think he kind of gets off on it." "I see your point. Great, just what we need ... more enemies," Alex added in a sarcastic tone. "Don't worry, Bro we're the good guys and good always defeats evil." "You're damn straight, isn't that right Alisa and Brad? Guys?" As I turned around I saw why they'd been so quite. Brad and Alias were making out again. "Are they like this all the time?" Justin asks with a huge grin "Yep." "Do they ever stop?" Justin asked. "Nope," I answered back smiling as I tossed a fry at them, followed by another, then Justin got in on the act. They finally broke for air and gave us the bird as they got up to walk away. Tony Ring, ring "Hello? Oh yes, I heard about your work. It's a bit uncreative and juvenile, but I guess to each his own." "The reason for the call? I wanted to talk to you. Just to make this clear, the fag and Alex are mine and mine alone. I need Justin, so don't touch him. Let me give you a little advice. He likes Alisa and if he gets mad he comes after me. If that happens I come after you." "You can scare them all you want, but try to be a bit more creative. I thought you people were supposed to be a bit more refined and classy," I said as I hung up my cell phone. Alisa "Alisa could I talk to you a sec?" Justin asked with a nervous smile. "Sure," I said as I gave Brad a smile and a kiss. "See you later Babe." I turned to Justin. "What's up?" "Why were you looking at me like that during lunch? You're not falling for me are you? I only see you as a sister." "Justin, I love Brad...it's just I noticed something about you today. I see something in your eyes when you're around us." "What? What do you see?" He suddenly got a little nervous. I thought I'd better not say anything and make sure I was right about him first. "Love. I see love, Justin. Is that what you wanted to talk about?" "No, as well as taking Tony off of the list of persons who could have keyed Brad's car, we can remove him from the list of suspects in your hit and run. Like I said before, it's not his style." RING "Their goes the bell. I'll see you at the game, right?" he asked. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Bye now." Justin Just two more classes left then get ready for the game, I told myself as I went to the bathroom on my way to fifth period.. After lunch, fourth period was dull and boring, and with Tony staring at me the whole time during the class, it really made me uncomfortable and wanting the class to end. "Justin!" Tony shouted out to me as he reached me at the doorway to the bathroom. "Tony, I have nothing to say to you," I said as I entered the bathroom, "So unless you're taking a piss just leave." "I'll leave, but only after I say this. You really don't want me as your enemy Justin, because I know where all the bodies are hidden." He had that smile that I hate. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, getting angry. "I wonder what your 'Real Friends' would say if they found out that it was you who started the rumor about Brad being a FAG?" Suddenly I felt light headed, like my heart was going to stop then explode. I turned cold. I thought I pissed myself at first but I didn't. I felt ill. "And let me tell you, Alex packs one hell of a punch. Just wanted to let you know that," he said as he started to laugh and walked out of the bathroom. I walked over to the sink and washed my face with water. As I opened my eyes in the mirror I suddenly saw Brad. At first I thought I was seeing things, an image, a figment of my imagination brought on by guilt. When I turned around and saw it was really him I couldn't say anything. "Br.." Before I could ask what he'd heard, he hit me. CRASH!